2026 - BOF DOCTORAL GRANTS IN THE FRAMEWORK OF COOPERATION BETWEEN MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY AND HASSELT UNIVERSITY

Research

Funding organisation:

Bijzonder OnderzoeksFonds

What?

Funding organisation: Special Research fund UHasselt (BOF) – Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN) Maastricht University

The BOF Doctoral Fund and FPN, Maastricht University provide funding for PhD fellowships in the framework of the cooperation between Maastricht University and Hasselt University. Both universities provide funding to cofinance 2 fulltime PhD-fellowships in close collaboration leading to a joint doctoral degree (formally: a double degree with 2 separate diplomas, referring to the collaboration).
The fellowships have an initial duration of one (UM) or two years (UHasselt) and are renewable for a second period of three years (UM) or two years (UHasselt) after a positive evaluation at the end of this initial duration. This evaluation will be based upon the progress report, produced by the candidate, for the doctoral committee and the doctoral committee’s advice (UHasselt) or the promotors and line manager (UM).
One PhD candidate will be appointed at Maastricht University for 4 years and one PhD candidate will be appointed at UHasselt for 4 years. The applicants/teams cannot decide themselves whether they will be appointed at UM or UHasselt. This will be decided by the selection committee.
Each candidate receives 10,000 euros research and travel budget for the project. Additional costs need to be paid by the supervisors.

Who?

• This programme is open to all applicants¹ without restriction to gender, nationality or age.
• Graduates with a relevant Master degree and excellent grades.
• Motivated and determined researchers possessing first-rate analytical and writing skills.
• Final-year (master) students are (likewise) encouraged to apply if they have proven research skills.
• A promotor/supervisor can only apply for one grant within this round

¹ This call is open to candidate PhD students, without restriction to gender, nationality or age. Since this concerns mandates in the scholarship statute, the circular of the Belgian Ministry of Finance regarding the exemption conditions of doctoral scholarships applies. This states, among other things, that employment contracts may not be replaced by a doctoral scholarship.

Exclusion criteria?
For the PhD candidate appointed at UHasselt: A person can only be appointed as a PhD fellow (“doctoraatsbursaal”) for a maximum period of 48 months in total across all Belgian universities.
Should you have been appointed as "doctoraatsbursaal" at a Belgian university in the past, you are excluded from applying in this call. BOF UHasselt only accepts applications from candidates at the start of a doctoral trajectory: candidates that are already appointed as “doctoraatsbursaal” or that have a doctoral file are excluded.
For the PhD candidate appointed at Maastricht University: Maastricht University only accepts applications form candidates at the start of a doctoral trajectory for the duration of 48 months: candidates that are already appointed as PhD candidate are excluded.

Application?

• The applicants can only submit their application within 1 of the BOF doctoral funding programmes: Euregional doctoral grants (with either ULiège, UNamur or UM) or UHasselt doctoral scholarship programme.
• The applications must be submitted by the PhD-candidate signed by both a UHasselt promoter and a UM promotor, in accordance tot the doctoral regulations at both institutions.
• Applications must be submitted using the application form + annexes
• Send to BOF@uhasselt.be AND lisbeth.evers@maastrichtuniversity.nl 

Regulations?

BOF internal guidelines

Scientific quality of the candidate:

• Study results
• Motivation and relevant competences

Scientific quality of the proposal:

• Scientific quality of the proposal
• Quality of the research approach (methodology) and feasibility of the project
• Quality of the research environment including excellence of lab (infrastructure, supervision, past experience, …)

Quality of collaboration:

• Embedding of proposed project in research policy of the hosting research institute/group/school
• Explain how the project will enhance the collaboration between both universities
• Indicate prospect of more sustainable collaboration
• Equal involvement of both sides

The applications will be assessed by a selection committee appointed for that purpose by the UHasselt Research Council and the FPN Faculty board.
The selection will be based on a scoring grid.
Applications submitted with promoters that do not have an existing collaboration within this programme receive precedence over other applications.
In case of an ex aequo (or very similar) scoring, candidates with promoters from different research groups/faculties receive precedence.

Timing?

• 1 April 2026, 23h59: Deadline submission of applications
• May 2026: Selection by both Research Councils
• Beginning of June 2026: Final selection

More information?

Contact Hasselt University:
E-mail: elke.bos@uhasselt.be 
Tel.: +32 11 26 90 53

Contact Maastricht University:
E-mail: lisbeth.evers@maastrichtuniversity.nl  
Tel.: +31 433 88 46 11

Deadline

01.04.2026

Contact Hasselt University?

E-mail elke.bos@uhasselt.be

Tel. +3211269053